gettin the word on the street…

ain’t as easy as it seems. no matter where you are. standing out on youtube is quite difficult, looking at the millions of clips uploaded each day; just as being talked about on FB, where a mysterious algorithm decides and limits your reach and you’re battling asses, the most exciting places on earth, wedding and baby announcements for 15 seconds of fame. well, and this battle’s a tough one, no matter where you and your crowd reside. getting some shine solely by producing dope, original music seems not to be enough any more in a day and time in which everything comes along in globalised/sexualised/scandalized superlatives.

earlier on this year i spoke to togolese emcee slash activist Elom 20ce and he revealved that lately he’s been thinking a lot about a gimmick, something extraordinary to add to his stage persona and music in order to be heard. and this coming from a man, who can rightfully claim he’s down and doing this for the cause – one that’s bigger than hip hop, living in an environment that calls for action, liberation and change. circumstances that should be enough to ridicule and make the search for gimmick superfluous. yet and still, he’s quite aware that he has to be ready to fight this fight to gain attention, next to the more crucial one, the one that his music and actions actually focus on.

i wish him the best. hope that artists like him get their word out. and maybe just being out on the street – in the midst of it – does the trick.